United States President Donald Trump is facing accusations of another “TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out) moment after retreating from an ultimatum to destroy Iran’s power plants. Trump had initially demanded that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
As the deadline approached, Tehran showed no indication of yielding to the president’s demands. Instead, Iran prepared to escalate the conflict by threatening retaliatory strikes against power plants in Israel and those supplying US bases in the Gulf.
With the prospect of a dramatic escalation hanging in the air, Trump announced at the eleventh hour that he had engaged in “constructive” and “productive” conversations with Iran.
Taking to Truth Social, the president declared that a resolution to the ongoing war was close. Consequently, he granted Tehran a five-day extension to resume the flow of all ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Iranian officials quickly dismissed Trump’s claims. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, released a statement denying that any negotiations with the United States had taken place.
Ghalibaf asserted that the president’s announcement was intended to manipulate financial and oil markets. He further claimed it was an effort to escape a quagmire in which America and Israel were currently trapped.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the US has requested a formal meeting with the speaker for the upcoming weekend. As of now, Tehran has not issued a response to the meeting request.
Despite the denials from Iran, Trump doubled down on his assertions while speaking to reporters on a tarmac in Florida. He maintained that talks were in fact underway and claimed to have spoken directly with top Iranian leadership.
The president stated that both sides wanted to reach a deal. He named his son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff as his two chief negotiators leading the discussions.
Furthermore, Trump alleged that the United States and Tehran had already reached 15 “major points” of agreement.
The ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has crippled global energy markets and stands as a primary obstacle preventing Trump from ending the war.
It is likely that presidential advisors warned Trump against carrying through on his initial ultimatum, noting that doing so could send energy markets spiraling further and cause global chaos—an outcome the president wishes to avoid.